Title: Laying a Ghost (The Boxed Set)
Authors: Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow
Publisher: Loose Id
Pages/Word Count: 247k Words
At a Glance: I highly recommend the box set as reading about these men in chronological order and experiencing their love story is a real treat.
Reviewed By: Carrie
Blurb: Laying a Ghost: When John McIntyre sees Nick Kelley step off the island ferry, he’s instantly attracted, and fairly certain that he knows what Nick is keeping secret, because he’s been doing it himself for years. When he discovers Nick’s real secret he’s drawn into a world he never knew existed, one haunted by grief and guilt and ghosts. In the shadowed world of the spirits, Nick’s power is all that the ghosts have to help them. But Nick is still mourning the death of his lover in an accident he believes he caused, and John’s determined to keep their relationship secret.
It’s going to take a lot more than attraction and really good sex to solve their problems but will they be lucky? Or will one week be all they have before they’re left alone again?
Giving Up the Ghost: Most of the people in Florida are soaking up the sun. Nick and John are dealing with a plane crash, a gold-digger, a reporter with an eye on more than a good story, and some startling revelations about Nick’s family.
And that’s before the ghosts from the crash get angry with Nick, the one person who can hear them.
They’re struggling with their relationship when the trip begins — sex works, sex works well; it’s the other stuff that’s a problem. Getting away seemed like a good way to work things out. But this is one getaway that might leave John and Nick wishing they’d stayed at home.
Or it might be just what they needed to find out that home is where the heart is.
Waking the Dead: When your lover can speak to ghosts and his half-brother can read minds, you get used to life being a step away from normal. But when angry ghosts take over the bodies of the living, seeking revenge for their centuries-old murders, even John and Nick have trouble coping.
Teenaged angst, pushy tourists, and the dead walking… If they want the peaceful summer they’d planned, they’re going to have to fight for it.
Side by side.
Review: I am a big fan of this writing duo—they say that collaborating with another author is difficult, but these two have it down to a science! After reading the Square Peg series (and LOVING IT!), I was ready to tackle another series from these two amazing authors, and being able to get the beginning of this early series (books 1-3) together seemed the right way to go. Oh wow, I sat down to read and just kept reading… Being able to keep the love story unfolding between these two men without having to stop and buy the next in the series before I could keep going was a real treat, and I highly recommend it! This box series includes the books Laying a Ghost, Giving Up the Ghost, and Waking the Dead. These books are being published together to celebrate the 10th birthday of the first book in the series, Laying a Ghost. There is also a novella, Love Strong as Death, published as a part of this celebration, which is being sold separately.
Laying a Ghost
John McIntyre is a jack-of-all-trades, but mostly a fisherman on the island of Traighshee in Scotland. When Nick Kelley steps off the ferry on the island, John scents a fare for his taxi service. What he finds in Nick is so much more than a taxi fare, though, and the two men are so drawn together it’s scary. There was definitely insta-love in this novel, but to be honest, it freaks them out too. They don’t know if they really trust each other, so how can they feel so strongly for each other. Add to that the power Nick has to see and talk to ghosts, to send their souls into the afterlife, and John is left reeling both mentally and emotionally. This first book slots these two men together like puzzle pieces, and you can see where the series is going to go. The authors do a fantastic job with the paranormal angle as well as the romance, and your mindset, by the end of the first book, is that you totally believe in Nick’s abilities as well as the love story between these two men.
Giving Up the Ghost
Book two begins a couple of years later, with trouble in paradise. Nick is having troubling dreams and doesn’t want to burden John with the details. Only thing is, John thinks that Nick won’t talk because he is tired of living on a remote island in Scotland, and tired of him, and the insecurities keep rising the longer Nick goes without talking. The angst continues to rise, and tensions get to a boiling point when John kisses another man in frustration after he thinks Nick has left him emotionally. How can the two get back to their perfect bubble? Nick’s father dies in a plane crash in Florida, and the two figure this trip may be just what they need to put their relationship back together; except there were a lot of people on that plane that didn’t want to die, and they all want Nick to pass messages on to their loved ones. Nick has to deal with multiple overwhelming ghosts, John’s betrayal, and other family drama—and try to stay sane and realize that relationships are a two-way street, and that John can handle, wants to handle and help shoulder his burdens. Book two is about reclaiming their love and learning to lean on each other.
“I take it you’re the one who picks up the pieces?” she asked John. John rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling awkward. “Well, I don’t know about that – “he began.
Nick turned and smiled at him. “Yes, he does.”
“Thought so, “ Melissa murmured. “The rock and the sea…one shifting, curious, deep, the other solid, an anchor point.”
Waking the Dead
Nick, long ago, thought he had exorcised all the ghosts off of Traighshee Island. Being able to live in peace with John for over ten years has been a blessing. But this is Scotland, a land of mists and grottos and ancients, and some ghosts are just waiting to be set free. This third book has less relationship angst as John and Nick are comfortable in their lives and in each other. It’s good to see them in their HEA, and most of their interactions leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling for their relationship. However, old ghosts get resurrected and people start getting hurt, and only Nick and John can help. This third book is a great paranormal read and a wonderful addition to the series. The plot carries the story along, and the romance has turned to a slow burn instead of the heat of first love. Nick’s abilities take center stage in this book, more than the romance, even though their relationship is beautifully described and it’s a fitting end to the series.
I highly recommend the box set as reading about these men in chronological order and experiencing their love story is a real treat.
You can buy Laying a Ghost (The Boxed Set) here:
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